Rana Plaza survivors still look back in horror 

Seven years have passed since the Rana Plaza collapse in Dhaka, the deadliest ever garment factory disaster. 

The life of Anna Khatun, one of the survivors of the tragedy that took place in 2013, remains frozen in time. She had once dreams of starting a family, but it will probably never turn into a reality. 

Anna is now 21 years old, and she is dependent on her parents for almost everything, because the accident left her bound to a wheelchair. It has been years since she painted her hands with henna. 

Speaking with The Business Standard, her father Badsha Mia said, "The Rana Plaza collapse destroyed my daughter's life, and left us devastated. Anna loved to hang out with her friends, but now my small house is her only world.

"She is no longer capable of taking care of herself, such as taking showers and going to the toilet."

Anna lost her right hand during the collapse, as a beam of that building fell on her hands. She was found two days later, and rescue workers had to amputate her hand to get her out. 

While under treatment after the rescue, doctors had to amputate her right leg too as it became infected. 

Anna gradually recovered from her injuries. 

Badsha Mia continued, "The accident took place 17 days after Anna joined a factory owned by a supplier of the fashion brand Primark. She used to go to the factory with her elder sister. 

"On the day of the accident, Anna and her sister were working on opposite sides of a pillar on the factory floor. Her sister also survived the collapse."

Anna left Savar for good after undergoing treatment for two and a half months. She now spends her days in a quiet village named Kumar Para in Jamalpur Sadar.

When asked about her life, she refused to say anything at all. No one can blame her for not wanting to talk about her most traumatic experience. 

"Now, I am quite happy with my life," said Anna, adding, "I do not want to call up that memory," she said when The Business Standard asked the name of the factory she worked at.

Another victim of the tragedy is Shilpi Rani Das, who worked as an operator in the New Year Style Ltd on the 6th floor of Rana Plaza. 

She lost her left hand in the disaster, while her right leg suffered muscle atrophy after being crushed in the collapse. The soles of her feet also got severely damaged, forcing her to limp for the rest of her life. 

Muscle atrophy is a medical condition when muscles do not function.

Refusing to give up, Shilpi restarted her life after the accident with hopes of a bright future. Recovering from her injuries sustained in the collapse, she moved into her elder sister's family in Savar. 

Shilpi also enrolled at a high school under the Bangladesh Open University. Currently studying in the tenth grade, Shilpi hopes to pass the SSC examination in the next year. 

Besides resuming her education, she has started working as a supervisor in a small bag manufacturing factory.

After three years of the Rana Plaza disaster, Shilpi lost her father. She is now the sole bread-earner for her mother and younger sister, who live in Habiganj.

Describing her life now, Shilpi said, "Sometimes I think if I had died at that building, it would have been better than the struggle I am facing now. I am still carrying the burden of Rana Plaza. It is a miracle that I am still alive. The doctors had no hope about my recovery.

"I dream of getting married. My younger sister is also growing up. I started working at a factory to take better care of her."

Momena Khatun, another survivor of the Rana Plaza collapse, has been trying to recover from the disastrous impact of the accident. 

She now lives in the Niamatpur area of Naogaon and has two children, a son and a daughter.

"I was pregnant during the Rana Plaza collapse, and I lost the baby in the accident. Even after years, I suffer severe pain on my body during winters. There is no end to the difficulties I am facing since the building collapse," Momena said.

The three survivors said they received Tk10 lakh each as a one-time compensation from the government. Besides, some NGOs gave them about Tk3 lakh each. 

The survivors spent the money for their treatment, but they continue to face challenges while bearing the cost of their treatment and household expenses.

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the collapse of the Rana Plaza building, which housed five garment factories, killed at least 1,132 people and injured more than 2,500 on April 24, 2013.

Among the survivors, around 60 people's limbs were amputated and 200 suffered severe injuries.